Authorities in Greece are set to prosecute a Georgian national accused of sparking one of several wildfires that have devastated the eastern Aegean island of Chios in recent days. The woman, employed as a housekeeper on the island, is alleged to have started the blaze by carelessly discarding a lit cigarette.

Fire officials stated that the woman confessed during questioning, admitting that she had thrown a cigarette that ignited one of the five active fire fronts currently plaguing the island.

"She is being held in detention overnight and will appear in court tomorrow," Lieutenant Constantine Kozanis told The Guardian, speaking from Chios. "Because she was caught red-handed, the process will move fast now that she has appeared before a public prosecutor. In her testimony to fire brigade investigators, she admitted she had thrown a cigarette that had ignited one of [the five] fronts."

Eyewitnesses also confirmed seeing the act, reinforcing the case against her.

🇬🇷🚒 Chios'taki yangından feci görüntüler geliyor. Yerel kaynakların iddiasına göre boş benzin bidonu bulundu. Bu ve üç ayrı cephede birer saat arayla yangınlar çıkması kundaklama ihtimalini düşündürüyor. Yangının sebebini araştırmak üzere bir ekip adaya gönderildi. pic.twitter.com/evJa4ULh7y

— Aris (@voiceofhellas) June 22, 2025

Since Sunday, over 400 firefighters have been deployed to battle the flames, joined by aerial units and a large volunteer force. The fires have triggered a state of emergency, with numerous villages evacuated for safety.

While one of the fires is believed to have begun due to the woman's negligence, the simultaneous outbreak of multiple fires in separate areas has led authorities to consider the possibility of intentional arson. Officials say the pattern is difficult to explain otherwise.

Efforts are currently focused on preventing the fire from reaching the mastic-producing villages in the island's south, which are of both cultural and economic importance. "The priority now is to stop the fire from advancing toward the mastic plateau," said Giorgos Toumbos, head of the Chios Mastic Producers Union, in remarks to Kathimerini.

🔥 Dramatic scenes from the Greek island of Chios yesterday. Flames tore through the area, destroying homes, fields, and cars pic.twitter.com/Ek05udMIFK

— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) June 24, 2025

Scorched by Negligence

To date, the fires have destroyed an estimated 40,000 hectares of land. 

According to Kozanis, conditions have improved, but the danger has not passed. "They have yet to be fully contained," he said. "Yes, they are in recession, but they have not been extinguished."

Greece, frequently impacted by climate change, continues to endure increasingly intense wildfires, driven by higher temperatures and prolonged dry spells. In response, the Greek government has introduced stricter penalties for ecological crimes. Current law allows for prison sentences of up to 20 years and fines reaching €200,000 for acts of arson.

The fires on Chios coincide with the country's first major heatwave of the season, with temperatures forecasted to reach close to 40°C in the coming days.

Read more: Greece witnesses 66 wildfires in less than 24 hours